COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LISTS - POLI 359:PUBLIC POLICY MAKING

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

POLI 359: PUBLIC POLICY MAKING

FIRST SEMESTER, 2017/2018 ACADEMIC YEAR

VENUE: E 9

TIME: 3.30pm -5.30pm

LECTURER: DR ABDULAI KUYINI MOHAMMED

Course Title	Public Policy Making
Course Code	POLI 359
Course Description	The course examines the initiation, development and implementation as well as the evaluation of public policy. The course is designed to enable participants understand the basic concepts, models, approach, methods and theories of public policy making. It draws out some of the connections and disjunctions between the theory and practice of public policy making. This is necessary because academic interpretations (theoretical explanations) of what policy makers do and even what they say they do and what policy makers actually do may differ. Selected examples of public policies and programs in Ghana (such as the STX Housing Deal, The 2010 Constitution Review Process, Decentralization, and National Health Insurance Scheme) and elsewhere will be used to provide a better understanding of the link (or lack thereof) between the theory and practice of public policy making.
Purpose and objectives	The course will help students to develop a critical perspective on public policy making by encouraging them to challenge the received wisdom and prescribed solutions presented by many policy science scholars and commentators. Students will acquire knowledge and insights through lectures, discussions and the textbooks as well as the assigned reading material. They will then be able to apply this knowledge to specific real world public policy phenomena. Upon completion of the course students should be able to: Explain the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of public policy Explain the key elements of the public policy process Articulate insights gained from the study of public policy making in Ghana and other jurisdictions Compare and contrast approaches to public policy making in different countries Establish the link between the theory and practice of public policy making Identify the challenges to effective public policy making and implementation in Ghana and elsewhere Suggest ways to overcome the challenges to effective public policy making and implementation in Ghana and other Sub-Saharan African countries
Week No.	Date	Lecture Course	Tutorials	Venue	Assessment
1	Aug. 25,  2017	Nature & scope of  public policy making		Lecture: E 9
2	Sept. 1, 2017	Ideology and Public Policy Making	Distinguish between public policy & politics; Public policy & Law; and Public policy and program	Lecture: E 9
3	Sept. 8 2017	Prescriptive Models of	Examine the distinguishing characteristics of libertarianism and Socialism.	Lecture: E 9
4	Sept. 15, 2017	Prescriptive Models	Do you agree that the Mixed Scanning Model has not resolved the conflict between the rationalist and the incrementalists?	Lecture: E 9
5	Sept. 22, 2017	Descriptive Models	The Elite Model Perfectly describes Public policy making in Ghana. Discuss.	Lecture: E 9
6	Sept. 29, 2017	Descriptive Models	Examine the strengths and weaknesses of Group Model	Lecture: E 9	Interim Assessment (30%); 3.30 pm
7	Oct.6, 2017	The Economics of Public Policy	The Garbage Can Model has no practical relevance. Discuss	Lecture: E 9
8	Oct. 13, 2017	Policy Environment, Actors and Institutions	Explain three concepts of Economics that are useful to public decision making	Lecture: E 9
9	Oct. 20, 2017	Public Policy Process	Do you agree that the Executive has more influence than the executive in policy making?	Lecture: E 9 Tutorial:
10	Oct. 27, 2017	Policy Instruments	Policy instrument classification is an exercise in futility. Discuss	Lecture: E 9
11	Nov. 3, 2017	Policy Success & Policy Failure	Assess the criteria used in evaluating policy success and failure	Lecture: E 9
12	Nov.11, 2017	Policy Termination, Change, and Learning	Examine the conditions under which public policy should be terminated	Lecture: E 9
13	Nov. 17, 2017	Policy Research	To what extent do policy makers learn from the successes and failures of past policies in Ghana?	Lecture: E 9
14		Revision	Revision
15		Revision	Revision
Exam (70%)

Reading List

Anderson, J. E. (2006), Public policy making, 6^th edition, Wadsworth Cenage Learning, Belmont, USA

Bridgman, P. and Davis, G. (2004), The Australian policy handbook, 3^rd edition, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW

Howlett, M. and Ramesh, M. (2003), Studying public policy: policy cycles and policy subsystems. Oxford University Press, Oxford

Maddison, S. and Denniss, R. (2009), An introduction to Australian public policy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

McConnell, A. (2010), ‘Policy success, policy failure and grey areas in-between’, Journal of Public Policy 30 (3): 345-362

Mohammed, A. K. (2013), ‘Civic engagement in public policy making in Ghana: fad or reality?’, Politics and Policy 41 (1): 117-152

Mohammed, A. K. (2015), ‘Ghana’s policy making: from elitism and exclusion to participation and inclusion? International Public Management Review 16 (1): 1-24

Simon, R (1976). ‘Studying public policy’, Canadian Journal of Political Science 9 (4): 548-580